Desmond Bryant

DEBT FREE JUSTICE: Tell us about the poem, what was your impetus for writing the piece?

DESMOND: This piece is called "Keep Them Feet Moving" It was written to shed light on some of the issues in today's society. I hope that the listener or reader will be inspired by my words. Hopefully, something in them will spark in order to create change.

DEBT FREE JUSTICE:  In the poem, you said "RIP to my momma.” Can you tell us more about this line and the story behind it?

DESMOND: In my piece, I said “RIP to my momma” this reference was a tribute to my Mother Leslie “Reesey” Decker-White. It’s a different kind of pain losing a mother unexpectedly. Many times, for a man, after losing a mother, life can become a whirlwind of bad decisions. However, I was able to use the pain, hurt and anxiety that I was feeling and change that energy into a positive. A reason to do more and create change for those that may come after me. 

My mother always told me when God is trying to get your attention, sometimes God will sit you down. 

As I look back at my past in retrospect, I believe that being incarcerated was what changed my perspective and what opened my eyes and gave me the opportunity to find God for myself. 

Incarceration is the closest thing to slavery that there is. The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Whether it is a traffic violation or a heinous crime, both could lead you into the same place. A place that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. The shackles and chains. The recycled air. The slop that is passed as food. It’s just an experience that I am grateful for because it woke me up. But it’s said that it takes such extreme conditions to do so. When you have seen the bottom of the bottom. When you have crawled at the lowest of the low. When I had no vision because the darkness blinded me. Only then was I able to see life more clearly and realize what God was trying to tell me. 

I now know my purpose and my calling. Using my words, my voice, and my story has opened doors that I never knew existed. By allowing something greater to use me and work through me in order to reach others, it allows me to be confident and humble in my mission to create change through the arts.